2012 Giro dÂ’italia May 13 Stage 8: Sulmona- Lago Laceno

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He is very good on the short steep stuff.
Look last year stage 4 tour, FW etc, never amazing but consistently decent unlike Andy.

Yesterday wasn't really steep.

 

[Froome19]

He seems enthusiastic and he's relatively new isn't he? I don't think he's so bad, he could be better but no one is perfect. At least he has a genuine interest in the sport.

You sound like you are describing a fan.
Which he is.
A commentator? No

 

[dlwssonic]

This. He can really annoy me but I believe he genuinely loves the sport. His enthusiasm at times is awesome. Less so when he is on boner watch with wiggo.

Yes... wiggins, cummings, thomas, cav and most of sky and british riders.
But he does like some other riders like kolobnev, ignatiev, evans.

 

[Lexman]

No, that doesn't have anythign to do with it since I'm not on KPN digitenne
Sporza will simply only review the Giro today at 17h. Only live = livestream on their site.

livestream now on their site, can't acces from abroad, sport-livez no stream yet...

 

[dlwssonic]

He is very good on the short steep stuff.
Look last year stage 4 tour, FW etc, never amazing but consistently decent unlike Andy.

in stage 4 thor hushovd finished in front of frank, that says enough. And you don't have to be very explosive to be good at FW because its incredibly steep, like guys like albasini are not explosive but can always do well at the race. I was talking about those more normal up hill finishes with normal gradients which frank is not great at, because he is not very explosive.

 

[woodie]

You sound like you are describing a fan.
Which he is.
A commentator? No

I'm glad he's a fan, it would be boring as bat s*** if he just spat facts with no interest.

What do you expect from him? I know he can be a little (ok a lot) bias but he does a decent job

 

[Mellow Velo]

Fair flying along.
RAI still thinking about going fully live and there are only 80kms left.

 

[cineteq]

Who are those cut off from the peloton?

 

[dlwssonic]

If frank wins it will be great for his brother andy at the tour, some motivation at least, or maybe even better, andy targeting the giro next time which suits him way more for a GT win.

 

[cineteq]

If frank wins it will be great for his brother andy at the tour, some motivation at least, or maybe even better, andy targeting the giro next time which suits him way more for a GT win.

Hmmm...your account has been hacked by airstream...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

yes frank is not good on the short steep stuff, so that's why he broke through with a win in the Amstel Gold Race in 2006 and was mainly known as hilly classics contender much more then as a stage racer/climber up until his TdS win
dwlssonic you clearly do not know frank schlecks history at all

 

[dlwssonic]

Hmmm...your account has been hacked by airstream...

haha I have decided to join the combined forces of christian and airstream JUST for the Giro. I have always liked the schlecks when they are aggressive in the mountains and the ardennes. But of course that only happens twice a year.

 

[cycladianpirate]

http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-8.php

In Italian

 

[Cancellator]

To watch live in Italian you can always go to the gazzetta website...

 

[FujiAnton]

If frank wins it will be great for his brother andy at the tour, some motivation at least, or maybe even better, andy targeting the giro next time which suits him way more for a GT win.

He can do podium definitely, but he won't be a threat for the overall victory, it will be between Basso and Scarponi. I can't see Frank dropping them in the mountains.

 

[Froome19]

I'm glad he's a fan, it would be boring as bat s*** if he just spat facts with no interest.

What do you expect from him? I know he can be a little (ok a lot) bias but he does a decent job

I expect him to understand fully what is going on.
Of course I expect all commentators to be fans as well.

You are right that i dont really care about him coming up with random facts. But I do care that he actually grasps what is going and can identify riders quickly and know their strengths, whether they are a threat etc.

 

[Frosty]

Who are those cut off from the peloton?

Apparently Pozzatto is in a group of 60 trailing the pack by a minute?

 

[dlwssonic]

yes frank is not good on the short steep stuff, so that's why he broke through with a win in the Amstel Gold Race in 2006 and was mainly known as hilly classics contender much more then as a stage racer/climber up until his TdS win
dwlssonic you clearly do not know frank schlecks history at all

“Today was a good day for Fränk and the team’s GC ambition,” he stated. “We really did ok. I’m even a tiny bit surprised because it was not such a long climb and we all know that short, steep climbs are not Fränk’s specialty. But he did really, really well.

Its kinda funny when you seem to think you know a lot about him, but his DS says the exact OPPOSITE.
Even kim andersen was surprised and I believe that he knows more about frank schleck specialities and strengths than you do.
Being strong on a short steep hill in a ardennes race is different from being good in an uphill sprint. Andy schleck could breakaway from everyone in roche aux faucons, but can he win an uphill sprint on the cauberg? And if Im not wrong frank schleck broke away on the false flat in amstel. Seem like you don't know about frank schleck very well.

 

[Froome19]

Break has around 6:30

 

[insideout leadout]

If frank wins it will be great for his brother andy at the tour, some motivation at least, or maybe even better, andy targeting the giro next time which suits him way more for a GT win.

This was a bit funny since I thought about Mathias Frank at first.

 

[will10]

david harmon ‏ @spokesmen
2 mins and BES go live on the Giro stage 8 ...early! #homeofcycling

 

[dlwssonic]

This was a bit funny since I thought about Mathias Frank at first.

LOL
ten words.

 

[Lanark]

He can do podium definitely, but he won't be a threat for the overall victory, it will be between Basso and Scarponi. I can't see Frank dropping them in the mountains.

Why not? He could last year in the Tour. And Basso is probably an even worse time-trialist than Schleck. Scarponi is good, but not an untouchable climber (look at Etna last year, even on the Zoncolan Nibali was clearly better). Seems weird to rule Schleck out at this stage.

 

[maltiv]

in stage 4 thor hushovd finished in front of frank, that says enough. And you don't have to be very explosive to be good at FW because its incredibly steep, like guys like albasini are not explosive but can always do well at the race. I was talking about those more normal up hill finishes with normal gradients which frank is not great at, because he is not very explosive.

If Hushovd finishing ahead of a rider that day "says enough", then we can conclude that a whole lot of people suck on such hills, including Cunego, Samuel Sanchez, Ryder Hesjedal, Roman Kreuziger and almost Gilbert even (1 place ahead of Thor)...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

“Today was a good day for Fränk and the team’s GC ambition,” he stated. “We really did ok. I’m even a tiny bit surprised because it was not such a long climb and we all know that short, steep climbs are not Fränk’s specialty. But he did really, really well.

Its kinda funny when you seem to think you know a lot about him, but his DS says the exact OPPOSITE.
Even kim andersen was surprised and I believe that he knows more about frank schleck specialities and strengths than you do.
Being strong on a short steep hill in a ardennes race is different from being good in an uphill sprint. Andy schleck could breakaway from everyone in roche aux faucons, but can he win an uphill sprint on the cauberg? And if Im not wrong frank schleck broke away on the false flat in amstel. Seem like you don't know about frank schleck very well.

More and more proof his DS is an idiot then. Also, F.Schleck finished 2nd in the AGR 3 years after his win after attacking on the Cauberg on the steepest part and dropping Valverde, Rebellin and 6 others and only Cunego could follow. That climb is less than 1km mind you


Not to mention his/andy double attack on roche aux faucons dropping anyone bar Gilbert last year in LBL 2011
And later in the race he was the only one holding Gilberts wheel on the Saint Nicolas, another 1km steep WALL of climb.

For me, this is more than enough proof, combined with all his hilly classics performances, that F.Schleck is good on short steep walls.
Prove to me that his DS and you are right. Because I can't see it